Antiperspirants

For some people who sweat excessively antiperspirants might help. While typically marketed for use on the underarms, antiperspirant products can also be used to help control sweating on the hands and feet. Antiperspirants work by blocking or plugging your sweat ducts, thereby reducing the amount of perspiration that reaches your skin. Antiperspirants are considered by many to be the “first line” of treatment for armpit hyperhidrosis. The most widely used ingredients in antiperspirants are metallic salts. Preparations containing aluminum chloride hexahydrate are among the most effective. Aluminum chloride hexahydrate concentrations of 10% to 15% are recommended for excessive sweating of the armpits. For the palms or soles, higher concentrations are required—usually around 30%. Some antiperspirants also contain deodorants. Deodorants, on their own, cannot prevent sweating, but they can reduce or eliminate odor by turning your skin acidic, which makes it less attractive to bacteria.

BTX-A Cosmetic

Research has shown that treating armpit, hand, facial, and gustatory (related to salivation or eating) hyperhidrosis with botulinum toxin is safe and effective. In recent studies, when botulinum toxin was injected into under arm areas affected by hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating was relieved for an average of seven months. And 28% of those studied, the anhidrosis (or lack of sweating) lasted sixteen months. The injections can be performed in a physicians office, require little time, and do not demand any restrictions in work or leisure activity (aside from refraining from intensive exercise or the use of a sauna on the day of the injections). It’s important to note that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved botulinum toxin for axillary hyperhidrosis on July 19th, 2004. It may take several injection sessions to achieve desired results and that during each injection session multiple injections are given in an attempt to cover the entire affected area. These injections can be painful especially in the palms and soles of the feet. Side effects of botulinum toxin injections can include small amounts of bleeding into the skin at the injection site and mild temporary weakness of muscles near the injection sites, particularly small hand muscles and minor discomfort such as a stinging sensation.

Clinical references:

• Dermatologic Surgeons Advocate Botox® to Curb Excess Underarm Sweat (July 2004)

Iontophoresis

Iontophoresis may be used to treat excessive sweating of the armpits, but it is more effective and tolerable when used for sweating of the hands and feet. During iontophoresis, the hands and feet (if both areas are affected by excessive sweating) are submerged in lukewarm water. Electricity is then conducted through the water. The amount of electricity sent through the water is gradually increased until the person being treated feels a tingling sensation for about 10 to 20 minutes. Iontophoresis treatment typically involves three to four sessions per week. Sweating symptoms usually improve after five to ten sessions. To maintain the sweat relief, one or two sessions of “maintenance” iontophoresis per week are often required.

ETS (Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy) surgery

ETS surgery aims to interrupt the transmission of nerve signals from the spinal column to sweat glands, thus preventing the sweat glands from being “turned on.” Which nerve signals, or pathways, the surgeon cuts depends upon whether the hyperhidrosis to be treated involves just the hands or both the hands and the armpits.